Monday, January 26, 2015

A few months ago I wrote about my four girlfriends and how it is practically impossible to get all five of us in one place at the exact same time. In fact, our September get-together was the first time in FOUR years that it had happened.

Well, I don't want to jinx it, but we managed to pull it off again and we had a little Christmas/birthday/new year's/Brides-to-be celebration with all five of us! Hooray!

Shauna brought champagne to toast the brides-to-be (Alisha and Me) - and I wish I had taken a photo of the two of us together. Ding Dang. Harper clearly didn't know what to think of me bouncing off the walls on a "champagne/so excited to see my friends-sugar high." Bring it down a couple hundred feet, Elise.

Shauna did remind me to get a photo of all five of our beautiful rings - ok, so the photo isn't the best... I really need to remember to take these kind of photos when it is not pitch black outside and everyone is ready to go home! - Note to self. It is pretty incredible to see the rings that belong to the girls I lived through my 20's with!

I can't wait to see these ladies again, and I am so glad we are making this a quarterly event - We may have to set the date three months in advance, but the important thing is that we make it happen! And let's be real... once every three months is hard enough as it is.

Next time there will be two one-year old babies in our midst... how is that even possible???

Friday, January 23, 2015

I love blogs. To the point where I had to scale back the number I read on Bloglovin' when I couldn't get through them all in one day.

Woah there, Elise.

I can actually pinpoint how the obsession began - I was looking for cute bridal shower ideas for my bestie Leah back in 2010 and stumbled on Green Wedding Shoes and Ruffled. I visited the sites often and loved seeing the pretty weddings they featured.

Pinterest had just launched in March and I begged a friend to send me an invitation to join the site -- anyone else remember having to have an invitation to spend countless hours mindlessly pinning pretty things???

I couldn't scroll and pin fast enough... Cakes, babies, organization tips, I needed to have them all.

That's when I found this pin and started reading Little Baby Garvin. Jessica was the first blogger I "followed" and the first time I really got a good look into blogland. I was hooked.

So here I am, five years later with a slew of favorite blogs. Just in case you need some reading material, since I am obviously slacking in that area at the moment, I thought I would share them with you!

Monday, January 19, 2015

In May 2013, Houston and I went to Disneyland on his birthday and while we were sitting on the curb waiting for the parade to start
I leaned over and whispered "I love you" for the first time. - then I got so nervous I scurried away to
get a churro. - Classic.

Needless to say, that particular piece of sidewalk on main
street USA holds a very special place in my heart.

So this year Houston and I decided to go to Disneyland at
Christmas time rather then in the summer. The tree, the music, the castle; the
whole Disneyland experience is magical during the holidays.

I finished writing my final paper on Thursday and with it
completed my first year at CBU.
Hallelujah, one year down, two to go. So a visit to Disneyland was a celebration of that as well.

Houston and I arrived a little late to the park (I had
stayed up late to finish the paper - I got 100% on it) but it was nice to be
leisurely in the morning - and we were in the park before 11.

A photo opportunity at the Walt Disney
statue, a quick ride on Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean and it was
time for Disneyland gumbo! If you've never had it, you're missing out my friend. It is the BEST gumbo and it's served in a bread bowl - heck yes!

We had decided to see the Christmas parade at 3 and Houston
suggested we get "our spot" on the curb after we ate lunch. It had yet to be claimed, so I took a seat
and Houston went to find churros. Naturally.

A few minutes later, Houston returned with my sugary treat
and said he had gotten two things for me.

Monday, January 12, 2015

That pretty much sums up my first week of 2015. All my plans for this week got blown to bits and I really had to "roll with it" much more than I like - to be fair, I never like rolling with it and dealing with fluctuating plans.

Houston and I started the year off sick and have stayed sick. No good my friends, no good. In fact, I finally went to urgent care because my stinking cough just won't quit and I can barely breathe walking up to my third-floor apartment, let alone work out like I had planned.

Monday the 5th was the first day of my new class at CBU, new semester, new school year, etc. Was I able to get ANY work done this week like I planned? Nope. I jammed through homework late on Thursday night (when I got home from urgent care) and then spent my most of my Saturday holed up on my couch with my laptop, typing furiously. As long as it gets done, right? GRRRrrr. Is it graduation yet???

Dinner plans got re-arranged from the weekend to weeknights (thank you cough-riddled body) and there was a jammed packed Tuesday and Wednesday to participate in. - oh and plans on Friday. Whew.

Thursday was a mess. A broken eye shadow, crappy hair day, challenging work, and then I took a chunk out of the toe of my favorite Mary Jane Pumps.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!

At one point I felt so overwhelmed I binged-watched 8 Jaclyn Hillvideos and ate an entire bag of M&M's. I'm not proud of it, but it definitely happened. There is always next week to get back on the "healthy train" and exercise routine.

Now, I did get to have a little fun in the mix too - A girl has to keep some sort of sanity in the madness.

The biggest bummer was that all my good intentions for getting back to blogging and sharing some really exciting news and projects totally flew out the window and now I feel like I am playing catch-up.

But.

I am taking some medicine for the lingering cough, getting a handle on the coming week's coursework, drafting some posts and then getting some quality time with my man. Maybe, just maybe, I will get a nap too!

Friday, January 2, 2015

So I think I may be the only blogger who didn't blog about my favorite 2014 posts, favorite items or any other sort of blog recap. Why? Well, I just didn't plan for it. At this point, does it matter? No? Ok... moving on.

2014 was a whirlwind year for me and it has been really nice to unplug and unwind for the last two weeks. No coursework, lots of delicious food, some quality sleeping hours and wonderful time with my man, family and friends.

I am one day into 2015 and it is already an amazing year. Well, other than the fact that I spent new year's sick in bed drinking NyQuil rather than champagne.

I can't wait to share some amazing projects and ideas that are in the works for 2015 and I hope you follow along.